[2] Bourbon and mustard glazed corned beef. Here’s the recipe (photo © La Opinion).

You may look forward to Corned Beef & Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day? How about a Corned Beef & Cabbage Sandwich?

If it sounds strange, remember that coleslaw is simply sliced cabbage with dressing, and that the Reuben is a grilled or toasted sandwich on rye or pumpernickel with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian Dressing.

In this recipe from Dietz & Watson, they cabbage is simply steamed, but nothing’s stopping you from serving the sandwich with a side of slaw. Or a cold beer.

This photo shows the sandwich made on a panini press, but you can make a conventional sandwich as you prefer.

In addition to corned beef hash, this is one of our favorite uses for leftover corned beef.
 
 
RECIPE: CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE SANDWICH

Ingredients Per Sandwich

 
Preparation  

1. BRING 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon oil to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Add the cabbage and reduce the heat to low. Steam the cabbage for 15 minutes but do not overcook; the cabbage should still remain crisp. Drain and pat with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. LAY two slices of bread on a flat work surface. Spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on each slice. Pile the corned beef, Cheddar, and cabbage on one slice. Add the top slice of bread. Grill on a panini press or serve as is.

Corning refers to curing or pickling the meat in seasoned brine. The word refers to the “corns” or grains of rock salt (today, kosher salt) that is mixed with water to make the brine.

Typically, brisket is used to make corned beef; the dish has many regional variations and seasonings. Smoking a corned beef, and adding extra spices, produces pastrami.

Corned beef was a staple in middle-European Jewish cuisine. Irish immigrants learned about corned beef on New York’s Lower East Side from their Jewish neighbors, and adopted it as a cheaper alternative to Irish bacon. Bacon and cabbage is a popular Irish dish. (Irish bacon is a lean, smoked pork loin similar to Canadian bacon. Here are the different types of bacon.)

Cattle in Ireland were not used for meat but for dairy products. Pork, an inexpensive meat in Ireland, was a dinner table staple.

But in the U.S., pork was much more expensive than the American staple meat, beef; and brisket, which required several hours of cooking to tenderize, was an affordable cut. Irish-Americans substituted corned beef for the bacon, and and Corned Beef & Cabbage was born.
 
 

They’re green enough—and elegant enough—to serve with St. Patrick’s Day cocktails.

The first recipe is a twist on the traditional California roll.
 
 
RECIPE #1: CUCUMBER, SHRIMP & WASABI BITES

Ingredients For 48 Bites

1. CUT the ends off the cucumbers, then cut each cucumber into 1” slices (6 pieces per cucumber). You should end up with about 48 slices. Using a small melon-baller, scoop out the center of each bite to 3/4 of the way down, leaving the bottom intact. Set aside.

2. MASH together the wasabi, cream cheese, soy sauce, and pickled ginger with a fork in a small bowl, until smooth and combined. Then mix in the shrimp to thoroughly combine.

3. TRANSFER the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag (substitute a food storage bag) with a plain round tip. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into each cucumber bite. Sprinkle with chives or tobiko before serving.
 

RECIPE #2: CURRIED GOAT CHEESE, APRICOT & PISTACHIO BITES

For the holidays, you can garnish these bites with finely minced dried cranberries for a red-and-green theme.

Ingredients For 48 Bites

1. CUT the ends off the cucumbers, then cut each cucumber into 1” slices (6 pieces per cucumber). You should end up with about 48 slices. Using a small melon-baller, scoop out the center of each bite to 3/4 of the way down, leaving the bottom intact. Set aside.

2. MASH together the cream cheese, goat cheese, curry powder, and salt with a fork in a small bowl, until smooth and combined. Then mix in the shrimp to thoroughly combine.

3. TRANSFER the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag (substitute a food storage bag) with a plain round tip. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into each cucumber bite. Sprinkle with pistachios and dried cranberries before serving.
 
 

There are plenty of green soups to serve on St. Patrick’s Day. For starters, consider avocado; Caldo Verde (kale, potato, sausage); cream of asparagus, broccoli or spinach; cucumber; green pea; herb; and nettle soups.

There are also classic Irish soups like Irish Bacon & Cabbage, Potato & Leek and Irish Potato Soup.

But you can also take your family’s favorite soup and add a green topping, starting with diced avocado.

Add a sprinkle of freshly chopped green herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley.

Don’t like avocado? Dice the tops of green onions, or use a chiffonade of basil. If you like, you can toss them on top of a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.

If you’d prefer a cheese garnish, hit a cheese store for Sage Derby, a Cheddar-style cheese from England; or Basiron Pesto, a Gouda turned green with added pesto.

Now, commence to the eatin’ of the green.
 
FOOD TRIVIA: WHAT ARE HERBS?

A tip from McCormick: Use green food color to tint minty chocolate chip cookies for your favorite leprechauns. If you don’t like mint, you can substitute vanilla extract.

Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 10-12 minutes.

RECIPE: GREEN MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients For 3 Dozen Cookies

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

2. BEAT the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, food color and peppermint extract; mix well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. DROP by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.

4. BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookie edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
 
TIP FOR GROWN-UPS

Add some Crème De Menthe or Irish Cream Liqueur to that chocolate milk!
  

Don’t want Irish beer or w whiskey for St. Patrick’s Day?

You can still drink green with this frozen Kiwi Cilantro Margarita from QVC chef David Venable.

David notes: “This is a Margarita recipe unlike anything you’ve ever tried. It gets a beautiful pop of green color from flavorful kiwi and bright cilantro. As you continue to sip, you get all of those memorable Margarita flavors you love.”

RECIPE: FROZEN KIWI CILANTRO MARGARITA

Ingredients For 6 Servings

1. PLACE the kiwi and the cranberry juice in a blender. Blend on low speed for 15-20 seconds, making sure not to dissolve the seeds. Strain the mixture through a sieve and discard the seeds.

2. PLACE the strained mixture back into the blender and add the ice, cilantro, tequila, triple sec and sugar. Blend until smooth. Garnish and serve immediately.

Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.